operation
DENALI 2009 |
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Expedition Timeline
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February 24, 2010
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:
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Operation Denali successfully funded the majority of our expedition
through
Thank you Operation Denali Sponsors!
Watch news coverage of Operation Denali: Video: Operation Denali trains at the AMS Mountaineering School Watch on You Tube Our Mission: Enable four Warriors wounded in the Global War on Terrorism to overcome devastating combat injuries and successfully summit 20,320 ft Denali, the highest mountain in North America, symbolizing the strength of our Nation and those who defend it. |
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Objectives:
1. To raise awareness for the needs of severely injured service men and women
2. To work
together to overcome our physical limitations and achieve a common goal made to
seem insurmountable by the impact of our injuries on our lives 3. To demonstrate by performance and example that no obstacle is so great that the human spirit cannot overcome it |
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The physical struggle to survive and overcome visible combat wounds is obvious to the casual observer, but it is the battle of rediscovery that is the longest, most hard fought struggle a Wounded Warrior must face. There is an insidious threat, buried in the soul of every warrior who has left a part of himself upon the field of battle. To fall prey to this threat is to become the greatest casualty …he who forgets himself - what he once was and what he can still be. To be this casualty is to give up the fight, to wallow in your condition with no trace of hope, no recognition of what is still possible.
"It’s been almost a year now since the IED strike ripped through my body and
changed my path so quickly. My body is still intact, sort of. Not all of my men
were so lucky. But I’m no longer the man I once was. My left arm is titanium
from wrist to elbow and then some. I lost 50% of the muscle mass in my arm and
five inches of my ulnar nerve. I’ll need more surgery in the future. I don’t
have feeling in my left arm, leg or several fingers and can’t fully control its
use. My brain has become adept at suppressing the pain. As time crawls by, I
struggle to rediscover my own ability. Slowly, I am gaining strength.
If you have questions about our mission, contact Marc Hoffmeister. If you want to help the team raise funding for other Wounded Warriors, please donate! All donations are fully tax deductible and processed by the Veterans Fund of the United States, a non-profit veterans service organization with an IRS determination of 501 (c) (3) and ID #23-287794.
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